Mike Weaver, Canadiens see disrespect from Bruins

What would this Bruins-Canadiens series be without one more war of words?

By Dan CagenDaily News staff

BOSTON — What would this Bruins-Canadiens series be without one more war of words?

On Wednesday afternoon, Montreal defenseman Mike Weaver agreed with some teammates' claims that the Bruins have been disrespectful of the Canadiens in this second-round series.

“I think they play the same way whatever team they're playing,” Weaver said several hours before the teams met in Game 7 at TD Garden. “Obviously we've got to earn their respect too. That's Boston for you.”

Weaver was asked what that means that the Habs feel disrespected.

“Watch the clips,” he said. “The whole entire series, you can see little things out there. But I think that's their game. Our game is just playing. The other stuff doesn't really affect us.”

During Game 6, Habs forward Dale Weise flexed his muscles at Milan Lucic as they skated off the ice at the end of the first period, a not-so-subtle jab at Lucic flexing from the bench for P.K. Subban during Game 5. Lucic called it part of the entertainment for the fans.

"Just one of those battles within the game, and just having some fun within the game," Lucic said. "You know, as serious as this game can be sometimes it has to be fun as well. You know [Subban] likes to have fun too."

On Tuesday, the Canadiens were open in their discussion of disrespect from the other side of the sheet.

“There’s a lot of that going on with their team, their players and even, honestly, their fans,” Brandon Prust told reporters in Quebec. “They can show as much disrespect as they want but it doesn’t really bother us at all. I think that was just Weise giving a little bit back and just mocking [Lucic] a little bit.”

There was also the matching chest-pounding from Lucic and Weise earlier in the series. In Game 2, Lucic capped the Bruins' big late comeback by scoring an empty-net goal. He pounded the Spoked-B on his chest as if he was trying to restart his heart and then jumped into the boards to celebrate the emotional victory.

The Bruins started the chest-pounding celebration the previous round, Lucic doing it in Game 5 against the Red Wings and Torey Krug in Game 1 of the second round.

In Game 3, Weise put the Habs up 3-0 in the second period and began pounding the CH across his body.

Also there was the way Game 6 ended. The blowout concluded with Andrei Markov spearing Zdeno Chara in the groin, Chara punching Weaver in the face and then Lucic and Jarome Iginla both going after Weaver. Weaver and Iginla were each given 10-minute misconducts.

Bruins coach Claude Julien wanted the Habs to take some of the responsibility for the fracas

“Although we’re perceived as the bad guys and they’re the good guys, when Markov trips Chara and then he puts his stick between his legs and nothing’s going to be called, eventually somebody’s going to react,” Julien said. “Whether it’s right or wrong, Zdeno reacted and then everything else started.

“There was a slew-foot before — [David] Desharnais on [Brad] Marchand. It’s a slew foot. Those are things that we keep talking about that are dangerous in our game. It’s a rivalry and there are some things going on on both sides.”